Message : Required fields (Reuters) - Office supplies retailer Staples on Monday offered to buy Office Depot owner ODP Corp for $2.1 billion in cash, the retail giant's third attempt to take over its smaller rival. USR Parent Inc, or Staples, said it would offer $40 for each ODP share, a premium of 8.2% to Friday's closing price. They were last trading at $43.85. The two companies agreed to merge in 1996, but the deal was put to rest as a government lawsuit argued the move would have meant higher prices for pens, paper and other office supplies. Staples' second attempt, a $6.3 billion offer in 2016, was blocked by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission saying the merger could reduce competition for nationwide contracts for office supplies.